The capital of Crete has long been the cultural, economic and political center of the island. Home to ancient monuments and modern amenities, this city is the gateway to historic Crete.

The magnificent fortress, Koules, stands sentinel over the port. This castle has been used for centuries as protection for the harbor and as a prison. Now it is open to the public for tours. It contains artifacts and weapons from the past as well as dark hallways and cells that used to incarcerate the city's prisoners.

The city also contains a pre-classical palace, the Knossos, which housed the rulers of Heraklion as they slowly conquered the island's other cities in ancient times. In the center of the city is the excellent archaeologicalMuseum of Heraklion Crete, which displays artifacts from Minoan, classical, Hellenistic and Roman times.

In Heraklion there are many options for entertainment and relaxation. In the city's tavernas and restaurants can be found the local spirit raki as well as Cretian and international cuisine. For sunbathers there are several lovely beaches near the city.

Heraklion is also an excellent base for exploring Crete. By car hire in Crete it is easy to make day trips all over the island and still be back in the city for by nightfall. The eastern village of Zakros houses a historic palace as well as an interesting archaeological site situated on a beautiful beach.

This city can be reached by daily flights from Athens as well as several other cities around the Mediterranean. Package deals from many European cities are also numerous in the summer.

The city of Heraklion is surounded from many tourist resorts , beautiful places for relaxing and swimming . Thalassotherapy centres and swimming pools, as well as mini football grounds , are modern ways of young people entertainment . Hotels and apartments in the city of Heraklion , useful information about the culture and archaeological places.

Rentcars24.com car hire in Crete is managing to promote the most beautiful directions to drive , as well as the archaeological remains on Crete .

Crete is a large and incredibly diverse island where pretty harbour towns like Aghios Nikolaos give way to rolling hills covered with thousands of olive trees. There are mountains here too and, amazingly, they are even capped with snow!

For many, Crete is famous as the home of the Minoan's, the ancient civilisation thought to have constructed the elaborate palace at Knossos, excavated by Aurthur Evans at the turn of the 20th century. In Greek mythology this is the birthplace of Zeus who, in the form of a white bull, is said to have abducted Europa and taken her back to Crete as his queen. Legend has it that Europi-Europa gave Zeus three sons, one whom, Minnos, gives his name to the centuries old civilization.

Crete was the cradle of early Mediterranean civilisation and is a uniquely fascinating island. Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, 160 miles long and up to 38 miles wide. The land is infinitely varied - mountain ranges rise up to over 8,000 feet, Europe's deepest gorge winds for twelve miles through rock walls at times 1,000 feet high. Countless empty beaches and a clear blue sea surround the island.